Power screwdrivers for driving collated screw strips have a number of uses in the construction industry. Examples of such power driven screwdrivers are shown in include U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,753 to Habermehl, issued Oct. 29, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,933 to Habermehl, issued Feb. 16, 1999 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,618 to Habermehl et al., issued Nov. 5, 1996. Additional examples of such systems are commercially available under the name QuikDrive® from Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc., Pleasanton, Calif.
Certain types of powered screwdrivers utilize an automatic feed screwdriver in which a housing is secured to a power driver. The housing includes a screw feed channel to receive the screw strips holding a plurality of screws. The screws held in the screw strips are advanced sequentially to a point where each successive screw to be driven is coaxially arranged within a bore of a guide tube in line with a driver shaft. Pressure applied by the user in conjunction with the application of power to the driver allows the screw to be driven into the workpiece.
Normally, the fasteners are held by the screwstrips until driven into the workpiece.
These prior art auto feed screwdrivers provide for various linkages between the driver body and the housing such that on reciprocal telescopic sliding of the slide body into and out of the housing between extended and retracted positions, the linkages cause automatic advance of the screwstrip in the feed guide channel.
Known power driven systems generally have an open end though which the fasteners advance into the work piece. In certain applications, greater accuracy than available using current power driven screwdrivers is required. Installers may need to find a particular pre-drilled hole. Currently, users place a screw gun over the hole and “hope for the best.”